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Tuesday, June 16, 2015
By +Scott Leffler
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com
The Lockport Express of the NA3EHL have announced that they have agreed to an affiliation agreement with the NAHL’s Odessa Jackalopes.
An agreement was made between the two teams after working closely together a few weeks ago during the Texas team's tryout camp in Niagara Falls.
Express Head Coach and GM Frank Vecchio said he expect the affiliation to "work out very well."
"Cody Campbell, their assistant GM and assistant coach, played at NU and knows this area well," Vecchio said, adding that one of the team's owners grew up in Cheektowaga and went to UB — as did his wife. "So, clearly, there is a connection with our area right off the bat."
This partnership is just another in what is becoming a growing trend of affiliations between NA3EHL and NAHL clubs. It is not the Express' first partnership with an NAHL club, though. The team had an affiliation in the 2014-2015 season with the Michigan Warriors. That team was sold, though.
Vecchio said the Odessa team has indicated a willingness to bring up players who are ready for the next step. "They have already told us to call them when we feel we have a player ready to go to the NAHL team and they will be happy to have him."
"So, we have already begun to work very closely with them and I have a very good feeling this will work out well for both sides," he said.
Vecchio added that the Express' camp Saturday and Sunday at Cornerstone Arena went well. "We are in good shape other than needing a few more defensemen. I like the players we have a lot. Next, we get our off-ice summer program out to the team and continue to scout for a few 'd-men' to round out our roster."
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scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com
An agreement was made between the two teams after working closely together a few weeks ago during the Texas team's tryout camp in Niagara Falls.
Express Head Coach and GM Frank Vecchio said he expect the affiliation to "work out very well."
"Cody Campbell, their assistant GM and assistant coach, played at NU and knows this area well," Vecchio said, adding that one of the team's owners grew up in Cheektowaga and went to UB — as did his wife. "So, clearly, there is a connection with our area right off the bat."
This partnership is just another in what is becoming a growing trend of affiliations between NA3EHL and NAHL clubs. It is not the Express' first partnership with an NAHL club, though. The team had an affiliation in the 2014-2015 season with the Michigan Warriors. That team was sold, though.
Vecchio said the Odessa team has indicated a willingness to bring up players who are ready for the next step. "They have already told us to call them when we feel we have a player ready to go to the NAHL team and they will be happy to have him."
"So, we have already begun to work very closely with them and I have a very good feeling this will work out well for both sides," he said.
Vecchio added that the Express' camp Saturday and Sunday at Cornerstone Arena went well. "We are in good shape other than needing a few more defensemen. I like the players we have a lot. Next, we get our off-ice summer program out to the team and continue to scout for a few 'd-men' to round out our roster."
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East Niagara Post is the official media partner of the Lockport Express.
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